Population
4 million
Tigrinya 50%
Tigreacute 32%
Saho & Afar 10%
Hedareb & Bilen 4.5%
Kunama
Nara
Rashaida
Capital City
Asmara
Leadership
President
Isaias Afwerki
Religion
Christian 50%
Muslim 50%
Eritrean
Ambassador
to the
U.S.
His Excellency Mr. Girma
Asmerom
Embassy of Eritrea
1708 New Hampshire
Ave, NW
Washington DC 20009
Phone: (202) 319-1991
Fax: (202) 319-1304
E-mail:
veronica@
embassyeritrea.org
BIO
Eritrea is divided almost equally between Muslims and Christians, and interfaith relations are
generally good. Nevertheless the Popular Front for
Democracy and Justice (PFDJ) is haunted by fears that
Muslim extremism or radical Christian evangelism may
disturb the balance between religions and threaten
national unity. Ostensibly in the interest of maintaining
national cohesion the PFDJ banned religious org-
anizations from involvement in politics and from com-
menting in detail on political matters. Fear of the de-
stabilizing effect of proselytism by either major faith has
also caused the government to impose restrictions on
international Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs)
that have all but ended their activities in Eritrea.
The government is close to the Orthodox Church, which
has had a presence in the area for 17 centuries. How-
ever it is suspicious of newer Evangelical, Charismatic
and Pentecostal Christian denominations, and of other
religious groupings that do not have as long a history.
Eritrea’s 1,600 Jehovah Witnesses were the first religious
grouping to experience repression. The Witnesses
annoyed both the government and the general populace
by refusing to take part in the 1993 independence
referendum or to serve the obligatory tours of national
service. Although the group was allowed to meet in their
‘Kingdom Halls’ and in private homes, members
experienced harassment ranging from detention to the
revocation of trading licenses and dismissal from the civil
service.
For several years adherents have experienced harassment, mainly as a result of tensions with the
Orthodox Church. The Orthodox Church appears to have been alarmed by the growth of what it con-
siders ‘heretical’ newer denominations, and the loss, particularly of its younger members, to these
denominations. Local sources report that persecution has been occurring for several years in provincial
areas, where non-orthodox church buildings have been confiscated and some church leaders have
been detained. Others have been beaten or threatened and later released.
In 2001 severe persecution broke out in two Orthodox churches in the capital, Asmara, as church
leaders sought to deal with ‘heretics’ in their midst. Many young people were beaten, their property was
vandalized and Bibles and other religious material were burned during this officially sanctioned attack.
Government spokespersons then began comparing Pentecostal/charismatic and evangelical church
members to Islamists, and branded them a danger to national security.
Finally, on May 21 2002 the PFDJ issued a decree ordering the closure of all churches not belonging
to the Orthodox, Roman Catholic or Lutheran denominations. According to sources over 36 churches
have been closed so far, including Kale Hiwot, a church affiliated to Serving in Mission (SIM), an
evangelical protestant organization with a history in the region that can be traced back to 1893. It is now
impossible for these Christians to meet even in private homes.
Persecution is said to be particularly severe in the armed forces. Large numbers of Eritrean soldiers
embraced a more evangelical brand of Christianity during the war with Ethiopia after listening to broad-
casts in the local vernacular from FEBA radio, a Seychelles-based Christian station. The government
was clearly alarmed by this development. Prayer meetings are now forbidden and attendance is
punishable by imprisonment. Moreover, anyone found in possession of a Bible faces severe punishment.
There are unconfirmed reports of several young Christian soldiers having been shot after being
discovered reading the Bible.
COUNTRY BACKGROUND
Eritrea fought a lengthy war for independence from Ethiopia with little or no outside assistance. During its
short history as a sovereign nation Eritrea has engaged in further hostilities with Sudan, Yemen and
Ethiopia. The country’s robust post-independence foreign policy has meant that these neighboring
countries have been more than willing to harbor Eritrean opposition forces, and this in turn has caused
the ruling Popular Front for Democracy and Justice (PFDJ) to develop what one observer has termed a
‘persecution complex’.
The most significant post- independence trans-national crisis was the 1998 war with Ethiopia. This not
only emptied Eritrea’s coffers, but also slowed down progress towards democratic development, leading
to the postponement of elections proposed under the extremely liberal 1997 constitution, and occasioning
increasing local discontentment with the ruling regime. For its part the government has become
progressively more intolerant of dissent and of any activity that it deems a threat to national unity.
Eritrea’s constitution also allows for extensive civil, political economic and social rights including freedom
of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, the right to due process and the right to free
assembly. However, fear of potential threats to national unity has meant that nearly all the rights outlined
in the document have been clawed back by the government. The PFDJ has become increasingly hostile
to civil society, cracking down on students, journalists and even ruling party members who have
questioned government actions or the pace of democratization.